Red Bull Racing has remained outspoken in its criticism of the 2026 F1 regulations. The team has pointed out various issues that could hamper their development, and perhaps cost them the comfortable competitive spot they have currently. This has raised some concerns in the paddock; however, there seems to be no change coming down from the FIA or the Formula One Management.
The 2026 season will witness completely new cars and upgraded engines. The cars’ aerodynamics will undergo a major change as F1 will use active aerodynamics. Moreover, the cars will be smaller and lighter.
It gets a little trickier heading into the engine side of the regulations. The cars will still work on the 1.6-L turbohybrid engine, but they will derive 50% of their power from the electrical components. The battery will be bigger and will see a 300% increase in output. These are major changes for any engine manufacturer, and Red Bull, which is set to become one, has been speaking about the same.
What are the potential issues that Red Bull could face with the 2026 F1 regulations?
Red Bull Racing is a strong team. They have six Constructors’ and eight Drivers’ championships and are still competing at the top. However, that position could be in danger as per the concerns the team’s personnel have revealed recently.
Weight
As mentioned, the cars will be smaller and lighter. The new regulations state the minimum car weight for the 2026 season at 768kg. This is over 30kg less than the current regulations. RBR team principal Christian Horner raised concerns regarding this, stating that the heavier engine would occupy a lot of weight in the car.
“We’ve got engines that are significantly heavier and a car weight that has become lower,” he continued. “So it will be an enormous challenge for every team to achieve it. Saving weight costs a colossal amount of money,” he said (via MotorsportWeek).
F1 teams spend a fortune trying to lighten their cars from their competition to gain maximum performance. But this could be a difficult aspect for Red Bull to work on.
Power Unit
RBR currently works with Honda for their power unit. However, the partnership will come to an official end next year as the Japanese brand is set to power Aston Martin. RBR, meanwhile, is prepared to use self-produced engines in partnership with Ford. They will become engine manufacturers.
But this could be troublesome for the Milton Keynes-based team. They have excellent cars with amazing drivers; however, their work on the PU is unknown. Moreover, engines are also expected to be the dividing factor on the grid next year. If Red Bull does not manage to build a very powerful engine, they could lose their powerful stature.
Adrian Newey
Newey designed all the championship-winning cars for RBR up until this point. He is called the F1’s “aero wizard” for his knowledge and understanding of car design. However, he is no longer a part of the team. He left RBR earlier and joined forces with Aston Martin, leaving his former team in a dilemma.
Although RBR hasn’t shown any signs of distress so far without Newey, they might not have the best-performing car next year. Considering the cars will be significantly different, the team would need someone experienced to design their challenger.
These are some of the issues that could keep Red Bull Racing at a disadvantage next year. The 2026 regulations could be tricky, and it’s currently hard to bet on any teams dominating the grid.
